London chopper crash leaves 2 dead

Updated
January 17, 2013 08:15:00

Investigators are asking how a helicopter came to crash into a crane on a construction site in the heart of London. The impact killed the pilot, and one other person, just near one of the city's major bus stations, Vauxhall. Police say it was incredible no one else was killed.

TONY EASTLEY: Investigators are asking how a helicopter came to crash into a crane on a construction site in the heart of London.

The impact killed the pilot and one other person. Police say it was incredible no one else was killed because the crash occurred near one of the city's major bus stations, Vauxhall.

Europe correspondent Mary Gearin reports.

WITNESS (Yelling): Oh mate, your car's on fire. Get out of the car.

MARY GEARIN: This is the sound of sheer panic, captured as a helicopter falls from the sky, and cars below are caught in flames from the wreckage.

WITNESS (Yelling): Get out of the car, man, your car's on fire.

(Sound of siren)

MARY GEARIN: On a foggy morning, in the peak hour rush in the heart of London, a chopper crashes into a crane attached to a tower under construction.

(Sound of siren)

Within minutes authorities swing into action, the biggest emergency response, it's thought, since the 7/7 bombings of 2005.

As the mist clears can see where helicopter has hit the crane and there are bits that are hanging down precariously. There's nothing of the helicopter visible behind the bank of fire units and the police vehicles that have arrived.

Within a few hours it would be confirmed the pilot and another person were killed.

Those nearby at the time could barely believe what they were seeing.

BYSTANDER: And I just see smoke building up, loads of fires, three cars on fire. People just running and screaming everywhere.

MARY GEARIN: Nicky Stuart is a construction worker, on a site across the road at the time of the crash.

NICKY STUART: The fog was really, really thick so we couldn't really see nothing or couldn't make out what it was. Something falling from the sky and the next thing we heard sirens. They were really quick coming the police and the fire brigade. We walked over towards the building, seen the crane hanging.

MARY GEARIN: And there were reports that debris was falling on cars that were nearby? Did you see that?

NICKY STUART: Yeah, yeah. The debris is over to the side of the tower, tower building.

MARY GEARIN: What do you think of it happening just here, just now?

NICKY STUART: First thing that comes to your head is terrorist, isn't it?

MARY GEARIN: That was certainly the first thought for many others as well. The crash site is just a few hundred metres from MI6 - Britain's intelligence agency - just a couple of kilometres from Houses of Parliament.

Authorities say there's nothing at this stage to support such speculation.

But other theories abound.

That the fog was too dangerous to fly in, that the pilot had a medical condition. Local MP Kate Hoey says there was no warning lights on the crane.

The air space above the Thames River is a common route for helicopters.

And Ms Hoey says she's called on the London mayor to look at the number of helipads in the city.

KATE HOEY: I think maybe we need to reflect not that I'm asking for helicopters to be banned because we do need police helicopters and medical helicopters but maybe we've just got too used to flying too many helicopters.

MARY GEARIN: On Wandsworth Road, which is a major road in south of London, local residents are gathering in shock that this has happened and amazed that no one else has been hurt.

LOCAL RESIDENT: I just thought it could have been on top of my house and that we didn't know. It is too close to home.

MARY GEARIN: It will take many months for the answers to emerge about this incident - as it stands Londoners are simply grateful for the miracle that the damage wasn't far worse.